Various types of systems are available for transmitting data from a transmission source to a transmission destination across a communication link. The time required to transmit data from a source to a destination depends on several factors including the amount of data to be transmitted, the speed or bandwidth of the communication link, and the speed at which data can be prepared for transmission by the transmission source. The speed at which data can be transmitted across the communication link may vary depending on other data transmissions using common paths or devices along the communication link. Thus, the time required to complete a particular data transmission is difficult to estimate if the data transmission speed across the communication link cannot be accurately determined.
In situations where the destination is distant from the source, it is difficult for an individual at the transmission source to determine when the data transmission is complete unless they are informed of the completed transmission by another individual at the data destination. For example, if an individual is transmitting an Internet web page to another individual for viewing, the transmission time can vary significantly depending on the congestion of the various communication paths and communication devices along the communication link from the source to the destination. Additionally, the transmission time will vary based on the size of the web page being transmitted. In this example, the transmission initiator (i.e., the individual transmitting the web page) cannot determine the status of the transmission unless a person at the destination contacts the transmission initiator (e.g., by placing a telephone call to the transmission initiator). Without communicating with a person at the transmission destination, the transmission initiator is unable to determine when a particular transmission has been completed and is unable to determine whether the transmission has been delayed due to congestion along the communication link.
It is therefore desirable to provide a system that provides an indicator of the status of a transmission across a communication link.